


Finding Treasure, Making Waves

by HungryLibrary



Category: RWBY
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/F, Flirting, Kinda, Mermaids, Pirates, a mermaid tries to down someone but only for a second and with a big wave, except no ones married yet so more like 'expected engagement', mermaid au, or at least the beginnings of it, shiny stuff, the semi-incoherent ramblings of someone who wrote this while falling asleep, young loooooove
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-23 14:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11403903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HungryLibrary/pseuds/HungryLibrary
Summary: Bringing your prospective girlfriend home for the first time is always a bit tense.It’s especially tense if you and your roommate are mermaids and your prospective girlfriend just so happens to be apirate.Ruby makes it work though.





	Finding Treasure, Making Waves

An appreciative whistle echoed through the sea cave.

“Nice place.”

Emerald dropped that last few feet onto a pile of rocks and turned on the spot to take in the full view.

It was like being inside an opal. Ribbons and patches of light danced across the walls in time to the water lapping at her feet. Treasure gleamed along the edges of the cave and shimmered from the clear depths of the pool- swords and daggers both ornate and plain, gem encrusted suits of armor and vividly painted shields were everywhere, not a hint of rust on them.

And in the middle of it all a mermaid grinned shyly, diving into a quick underwater summersault before surfacing again, scarlet and black scales flashing brighter than anything else.

She was, in Emerald’s very experienced opinion, by far the most beautiful thing in the room.

“It’s not as impressive as most other caves.” Ruby glanced around self-consciously. “I’m more into weapons than jewelry, though I try to get some shiny stuff too when I can.”

She rubbed the back of her neck with a webbed hand.

“But you still won’t find any heaps of coins or pearls here, heh.”

“I think it’s great.”

Crouching down Emerald peered at a pair of daggers sitting at the bottom of the pool. They were wickedly curved, etched bronze handguards and green jade grips carved, fittingly enough, into mermaids.

The edges of the daggers glinted, so sharp it nearly hurt just to look at them.

Suppressing another whistle Emerald leaned back on her heels. “You’ve got good taste. I know more than a few bladesmiths who’d die of envy if they saw this place.”

Ruby beamed. “It’s just a hobby. A lot of this is useless underwater, but they look so cool…”

“Say no more.” Emerald lifted her hands and smiled crookedly. “I know the feeling. Gems are pretty useless too once you’re rich enough, I steal twice as many of them as I sell these days. Sometimes things just catch your eye, don’t they?”

“Yeah.” Ruby agreed, silver eyes crinkling at the corners as she held Emerald’s gaze.

“It’s hard to resist when that happens.”

A jolt ran through Emerald.

Just a moment ago the cave had been a cool relief from the blazing heat of the sun outside. Now it was feeling very, very warm and the water was starting to look inviting.

Tugging on the collar of her shirt Emerald look over at gentle waves.

“Hey, quick question on mermaid manners- Is it really rude to go for a dunk in someone else’s cave pool?” She asked. “Because I think I baked a bit on the way over here.”

Emerald had been aiming for something a bit flirtatious. Either she missed her mark or her tone flew right over Ruby’s head.

A look of alarm washed over the mermaid’s face.

“Baked?”

One strong swish of her tail pushed Ruby halfway up the rock, high enough so she could reach up and push aside Emerald’s bangs, feeling worriedly at her forehead.

“Are you okay? Do you need to ‘drink’ something?” Ruby looked around frantically. “Did you bring something with you, because all I’ve got here is saltwater. Though there’s a stream a few miles up coast of here if you need me to take you there-”

Laughing Emerald grabbed Ruby’s hand and pulled it down.

“I don’t have heatstroke, Ruby. Just ready for a good swim, if you don’t mind me taking one here.”

“Oh good.” Ruby let out a relieved breath as she slid most of the way back into the water.

“And yeah, of course you can swim here.” She snickered a little. “Asking if you can is kinda like you asking another human if you can walk inside their house.”

Emerald shrugged. “You never know.”

She hesitated another moment before letting go of Ruby’s hand- the mermaid’s palm had been refreshingly cool- and got to work taking off anything that wouldn’t appreciate being dunked in water. Her knives were top of that list.

The first blade was just clearing its hiding place when Emerald noticed a shadow out of the corner of her eye.

Looking up she watched the shadow swim through the opening of the cave. “Before I get in the water, do you have a pet shark or something?”

“Huh?” Ruby blinked. “No, sharks aren’t allowed here.”

She had just started to turn to look for herself when the wave surged across the pool.  

  ** _Crash._**

Emerald had one second to grab for a hold on the rock before the wall of water smashed over her. It would have swept her clean off her perch, never mind how hard she tried to hold on, if a thin but strong arm hadn’t looped around her waist and anchored her firmly in place.

Then the water was gone and Emerald was left to splutter on the rock, head ringing with echoes and a furious string of eerie whistles as Ruby ‘yelled’ at whatever had just tried to drown itself a human.

A different set of whistles answered, tone lower and confused.

A second later a head broke the surface of the pool. A head whose face had a familiar telltale shimmer of transparent scales flecking across its cheeks.

Adrenaline pushed Emerald to her feet and brought a knife into each had before she even realized what she was seeing.

Another mermaid had just entered Ruby’s cave and done her best to kill Emerald.

“Nice greeting.” Emerald quipped, baring her teeth in a very unfriendly grin. “How about I return the favor?”

-

_Several minutes later…_

Silver eyes flashed from the pirate sitting on the rock pile to the mermaid treading water a short ways away.

“So, just to be clear.” Ruby pointed a webbed finger at the girl on the rock.

“She’s a pirate but she’s _not_ here to hurt me or steal our treasure. I invited her here because it was the only place I could think of where it’d be safe to hang out together… and in hindsight warning you beforefin would probably have been a good idea.”

Bobbing slightly Ruby turned to aim her finger at the girl in the water.

“And _she’s_ a mermaid who could totally drown you, but she’s also really sweet and nice and we’ve been friends since forever so she definitely isn't gonna drown someone I invited here.”

The mermaid in question nodded encouragingly.

“I am sorry for the mix up.” She apologized. “I saw a strange human in our cave and reacted instinctively, of course I would never hurt a friend of Ruby’s.”

“Riiiight.” Emerald drawled, shifting awkwardly as she resisted the urge to reach for her knives again.

“I’m guessing Ruby doesn’t bring home many new friends, not if your gut reaction is to _drown_ visitors.”

The mermaid winced and sank low in the water in embarrassment. Ruby just shrugged.

“I mean, normally human visitors ARE trying to either spear mermaids or steal our stuff, so smacking them into the water on sight is sort of trained into us. But yeah.”

A hint of color crept up Ruby’s face as she admitted.

“It’s usually armor and weapons that I bring back. Friends are more my sister’s thing.”

A small smile lifted the corners of Emerald lips. “Until me.”

“Until you.” Ruby grinned. “And hey that reminds me- we never got around to introductions! Here, allow me.”

Straightening up in the water Ruby coughed into her fist. “Ah-hem.”

The little show made Emerald want to laugh.

Judging by the twinkle in the formerly murderous mermaid’s eyes and the copious bubbles suddenly popping up just over her still submerged mouth, she’d both felt the same urge as Emerald and had a way of getting away with it.

Lucky fish.

“Pyrrha.” Ruby started, making a small bow to the other mermaid and gesturing up at Emerald as she did so.

“Please meet Emerald Sustrai, a pirate with an eye for jewels who spotted a few of my scales and followed them to the tide pool I’d gotten a liiiiittle bit stuck in. She helped me out back then and we’ve been meeting up ever since!”

That version of the story was apparently news to Ruby’s friend.

The mermaid- Pyrrha- popped halfway out of the water in shock, face so horrified that Emerald had to bite her lip to keep from laughing this time.

“What?” She gaped at Ruby. “The beach you were stranded on was one near the _pirate_ ship? What were you even doing there?”

Ruby’s cheeks turned a delicate shade of red.

“I was… looking at stuff.”

Her vague answer would have worked better if her eyes hadn’t flickered involuntarily over to Emerald, who winked in response.

Pyrrha frowned and followed her gaze. “What would be worth risking being beached near pirates for- Oh.”

The mermaid’s mouth fell slightly open in understanding.

Emerald smirked.

“Anyway!” Ruby hurried on.

“It was really nice of Emerald to get me back in the water instead of netting me or anything, and that’s why I know she’s a perfectly safe human to be friends with!”

Pyrrha stared dazedly between the two of them.

“If that’s the case then… Thank you. And I really am _very_ sorry for trying to drown you earlier.”

Emerald waved a dismissive hand. “No problem. I’ve fought off stuff worse than you since going to sea.”

The slight jab was a little petty but the mermaid she’d aimed it at was more than a little pretty, very fit looking, and obviously very close to Ruby. The urge to not be shown up was strong and Emerald gave in to it willingly.

She’d hoped to get some sort of reaction, something like anger, irritation, or arrogant amusement at her boast.

Instead Pyrrha smiled. “That’s good to hear.”

So she said, and it sounded like she meant it too. So then why were the hairs on the back of Emerald’s neck suddenly standing on end?

Suppressing a shiver Emerald focused on listening as Ruby continued the introductions.

“Emerald.” She turned to offer the same bow as before. “This is Pyrrha Nikos, local champion of our pod- and the best warrior of any pod really. She’s my best friend and fellow weapons collector. We’re also kinda engaged? But that’s a whole big mess all its own so for now we can just skip it.”

Emerald nodded along. A beautiful underwater amazon with a shared history and hobby, sounded like this Pyrrha wasn’t going to be easy competition- Wait.

“ _Engaged?_ ”

Emerald’s balance on the rock slipped. She barely caught herself in time to keep from falling right into the water, or rather right into Ruby’s arms, since she’d darted over the moment she saw Emerald start to slide.

“ _Kinda_ engaged.” Ruby stressed, staying close by just in case. “Neither of us proposed but everyone’s expecting it to happen, even the… Well anyway. I just wanted to clear the current in case you started wondering why we’re sharing a cave and stuff.”

“Uh huh.” Was all Emerald could manage to say. “Huh.”

There was a soft splash of water on stone as Pyrrha swam over to join Ruby at the base of the rock.

“Speaking of the others, do we have a plan to make sure they don’t find out about this?” She asked, tilting her head in Emerald’s direction.

“Champion or not I won’t be able to hold off an entire pod. And if they hear that you of all people are spending time alone with a pirate- If you sister finds out-”

“I can explain it to Yang.” Ruby soothed. “Probably, anyway.”

“And the others?”

“Are gonna help give me the perfect cover.” A hint of snugness found its way into Ruby’s voice. “That’s why I thought this would be a good place to meet, see, since they’re all dead set on us having some alone time and getting together…”

Pyrrha’s eyes widened. 

“Of course.” She whispered. “For now, no place in the sea will be more private and undisturbed than this cave.”

“Exactly! And don’t worry about Yang or any of our friends popping in suddenly, I’ve got a plan for that too.”

The two fell into deep discussion as Emerald watched from the sidelines.

They made a good looking pair, she noted vaguely.

Pyrrha all height and muscle and faded scars, long red hair tied back in a high pony tail and eyes a soft mossy green, the scales on her forearms and sides matching her hair perfectly.

Next to her Ruby looked smaller in the cutest way. The red highlights in her dark bob were brought out by Pyrrha’s own colors, silver eyes bright as moonlight on water and as inquisitively sharp as Pyrrha’s were soft, scarlet and black scales standing out even more vividly when set next to the other mermaid’s deeper hue.   

They had different patterns for their scales, Emerald realized. Ruby’s reached further up her waist and trailing up the middle of her stomach in a thin line, and even though Pyrrha was taller (or longer, Emerald had no idea how mermaids measured themselves) it looked like her and Ruby’s tail fins were about the same size.

The differences did nothing to stop them looking great together.

If looks alone could make a good marriage then it wouldn’t be hard to see why they were expected to hook up. They were a perfect mix of coordination and contrast, the kind that made your throat go dry and your chest ache.

From this close it was also plain to see how comfortable they were with each other. Hands and elbows touched casually as they treaded water side by side, near enough that Emerald was fairly sure their tails must be brushing underneath the water too.

And from this close it was also suddenly plain _why_ Pyrrha’s smile had given Emerald the creeps earlier.

There were a LOT of very pointy teeth in that smile. Teeth that looked especially pointy when Pyrrha laughed, and even more so when the mermaid caught Emerald staring and looked back, one eyebrow lifting curiously.

Ruby was talking, mentioning names and places that meant nothing to a human.

Emerald was only half listening.

Pyrrha had locked eyes with her and holding that gaze without flinching or shivering or reaching for her knives was taking up most of Emerald’s attention. She had the distinct feeling that if she blinked or looked away for even a second the mermaid would grab her by the throat and pull her down into the deeps to drown.

The idea was silly. Pyrrha genuinely seemed to care for Ruby, she wasn’t going to kill one of Ruby’s friends while the mermaid watched. And even if Pyrrha _did_ try something Emerald knew Ruby would save her, just like she had before.

She knew all that and yet still didn’t dare look away from Pyrrha, not until mermaid herself turned away to reply to something Ruby had said.

Emerald took the opportunity to shudder while their attention was off her.

Seemed like there might be good reasons for all those stories warning about mermaids and sailors lost at sea. Cinder might have finally bitten off more than she could chew, trying to play a trick on creatures like these without a whole fleet of ships to back her up.

The fact that Emerald wasn’t going to be helping half as much as she was supposed to wouldn’t make things any easier for the pirate queen.  

Emerald’s stomach rolled at the thought.

She’d never held back on Cinder before or had a problem taking advantage of whatever unfortunate souls drew her eye. In fact Emerald had always enjoyed it, especially when stolen gems were involved. But this time…

 “-only leaves the other pirates to worry about, really.”

Emerald tuned back in just as Ruby glanced up at her uncertainly. The mermaid’s tail stirred the water into a slight froth as she lashed it nervously. 

“Do you think they’ll get suspicious if you keep sneaking away?”

The worry in those silver eyes made the uneasiness in Emerald’s gut melt away like sea foam on sand.  

“Leave them to me.” She promised. “I have a pretty good idea of what to say to keep them off my trail.”

 _And away from you_ , Emerald added silently to herself.

Mermaid, technically engaged, marked out by Cinder- None of it mattered when she was looking into those bright eyes.  

Ruby Rose was one jewel Emerald had no intention of letting slip through her fingers.


End file.
